From its establishment in 1912 as the first civic art gallery in Canada to its role a century later as one of the leading visual arts institutions in the country, the history of the Winnipeg Art Gallery is inextricably linked to the principle that the cause of art is the cause of the people. The WAG is a product of the people and art that fill its spaces and make possible its reach into the community. The year 2012 marked the WAG’s centennial, and with it the opportunity to organize an exhibition that celebrates not just the Gallery’s rich art holdings, but those from across the nation. The result is 100 Masters: Only in Canada, a truly historic assembly of one hundred works of art from twenty-eight museums in Canada and two in the United States, along with ten pieces from the WAG’s permanent collection. The selection of the artwork is divided evenly between Canadian and non-Canadian works; among the loans there are fifty Canadian works and a combination of fifty European and American works spanning six centuries, from 1500 to 2010.

Curated by WAG director and CEO Dr. Stephen Borys, 100 Masters: Only in Canada enables us to focus on the individual work, obliging us to look again and enjoy. Despite the layers of art history and connoisseurship that may connect us to or separate us from the artwork, there always remains a way to access the physical work. There is no substitute for that experience of standing in front of the painting or sculpture, and it is in this way that 100 Masters delivers. With the gathering of more than one hundred paintings, sculptures, and decorative art pieces, spanning centuries and schools, the inclination to compare or contrast is easily displaced by the opportunity to reconnect with the singular object and its intrinsic values. As the WAG turns one hundred years, thirty museums from east to west have lent some of their finest works to mark this historic event—and we are invited back to the place where the object leads our exploration.

Admission to 100 Masters: Only in Canada:

During the run of this exhibition from May 11 through August 18, Gallery admission, which includes admission to the exhibition, will be:

WAG member surcharge $10

WAG family member surcharge $25

WAG senior/student member surcharge $10

adult $22

senior and student $20

family $55

children 5 and under are free

This includes free audio tours and a commemorative booklet.

Click here for a review of the book accompanying this exhibition. It is available in the Gallery Shop for $58.

Saturday May 18, 2013 at 2pmSunday May 19, 2013 at 2pmSaturday May 25, 2013 at 2pmSunday May 26, 2013 at 3pmSaturday June 1, 2013 at 2pmSaturday June 8, 2013 at 2pmSunday June 9, 2013 at 2pmSaturday June 15, 2013 at 2pmSunday June 16, 2013 at 2pmSaturday June 22, 2013 at 2pmSunday June 23, 2013 at 2pmSaturday June 29, 2013 at 2pmSunday June 30, 2013 at 2pmSunday July 7, 2013 at 2pmSunday July 14, 2013 at 2pmSunday July 21, 2013 at 2pmSunday July 28, 2013 at 2pmSaturday August 3, 2013 at 2pmSunday August 4, 2013 at 2pmFriday August 9, 2013 at 7pmSaturday August 10, 2013 at 2pmSunday August 11, 2013 at 2pmMonday August 12, 2013 at 2pmWednesday August 14, 2013 at 2pmFriday August 16, 2013 at 7pmSaturday August 17, 2013 at 2pmSunday August 18, 2013 at 2pmMonday August 19, 2013 at 2pmWednesday August 21, 2013 at 2pmFriday August 23, 2013 at 7pmSaturday August 24, 2013 at 2pmSunday August 25, 2013 at 2pmMonday August 26, 2013 at 2pmWednesday August 28, 2013 at 2pmFriday August 30, 2013 at 7pm